First up, I have to come clean and admit that I didn't really enjoy Sacha Baron Cohen's last mockumentary, Borat.

Sure, I could see that it as a fairly unique concept, that the guy was a talented character actor and that he had balls of steel. But I found the intense awkwardness hard to stomach - to the point where I found some scenes almost unwatchable. I guess I'm just in that category of people who have a low embarrassment threshold.

But I understand that the exact thing that makes me want to curl up and die gives some people a kick, so I went into Baron Cohen's latest venture, Bruno, with an open mind and a roll-neck jumper so I could retreat like a frightened turtle if the embarrassment became unbearable.

The good news is, I found Bruno a much more enjoyable experience. By no means has Baron Cohen toned it down - if anything he's pushed the boundaries of decency even further than he did in Borat. But I think this time 'round I steeled myself for the awkwardness, so I spent less time in the foetal position.

Thanks to incredible publicity and sneak-peek footage that was cleverly 'leaked' early in production, most people already know exactly who Bruno is. At the beginning of the film we meet the "19-year-old Austrian television star" as he's enjoying the lofty heights of stardom as a fashion reporter in Vienna. After a spectacular fall from grace, our lead man is forced out of the local fashion industry, and heads to LA (via Africa and the Middle East) to "become a celebrity". It's here that he appalls and disturbs a motley crue of d-grade celebrities, Christians, game hunters and congressmen.

Many of the key ingredients of Borat are back. The in-your-face factor is high, with full-frontal male nudity and over the top boy-on-boy sex scenes. There are also moments where you can't help but genuinely fear for Baron Cohen's safety, as he fans the flames with fundamentalist Muslims and red-necks from the deep south. Apparently one scene in particular (a wrestling match which comes towards the end of the film) ended in an all out brawl, and Baron Cohen had to be removed from the premises before he was ripped to shreds. The man has courage in spades.

A scene where he appears as an extra on the TV show Medium is also a highlight (he actually managed to delay production on the drama for an entire day) and his sessions with a 'gay converter' and a martial arts expert have to be seen to be believed.

The film is peppered with strokes of genius and it's hard not to admire Baron Cohen's comic timing, the speed at which he ad libs and his sheer chutzpah. His ability to bring stupid people out of the wood-work is second to none.

But this skill may be under threat. Making these character-driven films and tricking people into his interviews must be proving increasingly challenging as Baron Cohen becomes instantly recognised around the globe. He's no longer able to fly under the radar as he did with Ali G and Borat.

It will be very, very interesting to see what he comes up with once the Bruno whirlwind dies down.

Bruno opens in cinemas this Thursday, July 8.
You can view the Bruno movie trailer here on TheVine.